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Good money for a man who knew how to shoot straight and keep his mouth shut.

Then one job went tits-up.

Bad intel. Wrong target. I caught something that didn't add up and hesitated.

People died.

The asshole running the operation pinned it on me, saving his own skin.

Learned my lesson. Never take a man's word when somebody's life is on the line.

After that, I checked every target myself. Every name, every detail. Didn't matter how much it pissed off the people paying me.

That's how I got tagged Vex.

Kept asking questions, kept finding holes in their bullshit, and generally made myself a pain in everyone's ass.

The Sinners thought the name fit.

Can't argue with that.

The sedan brakes hard.

I ease off the throttle as the driver swings onto a narrow road, kicking gravel behind him.

I follow.

They know I'm back here.

Good.

Keep looking at me, motherfuckers. Leave the woman alone.

"Vex," Ash comes through the comms. "Which road?"

"Old logging road off the north route."

"Shit. That one's blocked farther up. Fallen trees. County hasn't cleared 'em."

"How far?"

"Couple miles. I'm coming in from the other end."

"Copy."

The sedan accelerates.

Dumb bastard doesn't know he's driving into a dead end.

Sooner or later, he'll figure it out.

And when he does, there's no telling what he'll try.

Especially with Kierra trapped in the back.

My jaw clenches.

Never liked having people depend on me.